Hi guys!
So i decided that, as a hairdresser, I haven't been doing enough hair related posts. And following a few tutorial requests from my Tweeps I have decided to get my bottom in gear and start talking HAIR as well as MAKE UP.
I'm very set in my ways when it comes to my hair. Although i did have my long, thick wavy hair cut off quite recently as i felt it was getting tatty and too much to handle on my limited energy/attention span, my hair regime still hasn't altered that much. But what products i do use, i LOVE and I thought I'd tell you about them.
So in the interest of being logical and methodical i will start at the beginning with Shampoo and Conditioner. I have been in LOVE with Tigi Catwalk Headshot since the first time it touched my hair. The sweet mint scent is lovely and It's just so intensely moisturising. When my hair was long it made it so manageable that i never even had to put a smoothing product on my hair and it gave the most AMAZING shine.
Well here's the catch.... they've only gone and bloody DISCONTINUED it haven't they. They seem to do this with EVERYTHING i like. They always replace it though, and in the case of Headshot the product they have brought out would be the
Urban Antidotes Recovery Shampoo and conditioner, which you can buy from
Feel Unique without having to go into a salon.
However, once i am done with this last Headshot Tween i think i will be returning to Aussie Miracle Moist, as that was my favourite BEFORE Tigi. I love the Aussie products for their quality as well as affordability. And they're currently 2 for £6 in Boots so GET IN THERE!
The other shampoo i have been trying out lately is Head n Shoulders new Colour Care shampoo. Usually if anyone had had a hair colour that they didn't like or was too dark i would automatically tell them to wash like mad with Head n Shoulders OR Pantene as, as far as I'm concerned they are non chemical hair STRIPPERS, not shampoos. I think both brands have now taken heed of the hairdressers advice as both have now brought out Colour Care ranges. I still have no interest in putting Pantene anywhere near my hair but, as i am prone to dry scalp i really wanted to give the Head n Shoulders a chance. And i LIKE it! It hasn't touched my colour, smells lovely and fresh and my scalp feels a LOT better. I don't use it every wash but it's worth trying if you have coloured hair AND dry scalp.
So post-wash the go-to product for ME has got to be Moroccan Oil. I don't use it after EVERY wash any more, as since I've had my hair shorter my ends are nowhere near as dry (although after i had the bleach bath on my hair to get rid of the red i used it quite intensively for a few washes just to help it recover). This product is so WORTH the hype and, although it's expensive (around £30 for 100ml) it will last you FOREVER! Superior conditioning and shine and it definitely makes your hair healthier. There are other, more affordable Argan oil products out there. I think VO5 or Lee Stafford would be the ones i have heard the best reviews of from other bloggers so perhaps i will give those a try once i have done with this bottle of M.O.
For Colour Care, I have leaned AGAIN towards Tigi and Aussie. I use the Aussie 'Dual Personality' coloured hair protection Serum on wet hair on those days where i don't use Moroccan Oil. But i always use it on dry hair after blow drying, and before straightening. You don't need to use a lot as it's quite runny for a serum but i find it really does smooth my hair and protects it from straighteners etc. And it smells LUSH as well.
The other Colour Care product i use is the Tigi S Factor Colour Balancer... although i'm not 100% sure what it actually DOES to balance colour. I only use this if i've JUST had my colour done just in case it helps it to last longer. But I'm really not sure. I've not had retail experience with S Factor products like i have with the other Tigi ranges so i don't know the patter. But i was given one as a sample and it made my hair feel nice so i went with it haha.
Styling-wise I don't usually do a lot. Once it's dry, moisturised and straightened, a spritz of Tigi Catwalk 'Your Highness' weightless Shine Spray and a little mist of Hairspray is all i need. However, in the new year i was lucky enough to receive a set of BigSexyHair products through the Hairdressers Journal monthy subscription prize draw (Thanks HJi!!) so i embraced them wholeheartedly!
These products aren't something you'd automatically think would benefit someone like me (THICK hair), but with thick hair comes WEIGHT and the weight of my hair does tend to drag it down and i do like a bit of height, expecially in my layers and around my crown.
The products i was sent were BigSexyHair 'What a Tease' (Backcomb in a bottle), 'Root Pump' Spray Mousse and 'Spray and Play' Hairspray and i have to say that i AM really enjoying using them. I really prefer spray mousses as i hate that sticky feeling a normal mousse gives my hands, and i like the fact that i can direct it straight to where i want it on my roots without clogging up my midlengths and ends. When i use this i spritz it through the areas i want, then blast my hair upside down with the dryer before finishing off by blowdrying around a round bristle-brush. I prefer to have my hair straight at the sides and around my face but this really gives my layers a boost! The Tigi equivalent of this product would probably be the Superstar 'Queen for a Day' Thickening Spray.
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| Rachael's BigSexyHair |
'What a Tease' has only really been used when i go out (which isn't often due to my illness) BUT, if you can get over the texture of the product (it sets HARD and almost feels a little chewing gum-ish in the hair) the holding power is FAR superior and saves hours spent with the teasing brush. I tend to just use a little around my crown area or pile it on to make a MASSIVE quiff. And it really does stay put. I used it on my model, Rachael for the Hair Show i competed in in April and the style stayed put all day with minimal retouching required.
The Hairspray is what you'd expect from a GOOD hairspray. No complaints at all. It's not sticky and brushes out easily and it's not too heavy. The scent is lovely and fresh as well.
So those are my FAVE products of the moment. I will very shortly be compiling my Summer Hair Must-Haves. I will be posting my haircare wishlist in the next couple of days and reviewing them as i go to let you know which to grab and which to avoid. So can't wait to share that with you.
What Hair Products are you Curious about?? What styling issues are you having lately?? I'd love to hear from you. I might even be able to HELP....
